HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

May this day find you surrounded by family, friends, good food and precious memories.

THE LITTLE BOOK OF CAT MAGIC - Deborah Blake

Most of you know (or at least know of) Deborah Blake. Today's post is special. Her newest book, The Little Book of Cat Magic, releases today. Sadly, Miss Deborah is helping her friend Bethany as she prepares to move to the Summer Land. Such a hard time for Miss Deborah as well as Bethany's family and friends. Please take a look at this newest addition to the Deborah Blake library and send love and light her way.

From Amazon -

Deepen the bond between you and your cats as you practice magic together. This wonderful and witchy book is filled with a wide variety of spells, enchantments, and recipes that will improve the life you share with them. From finding and naming a new cat to working with a feline as a familiar, The Little Book of Cat Magic has something for everyone who loves cats and magic.

Learn about cats throughout history as well as the myths, folklore, and deities associated with them. Explore spells for living with cats, improving their health, and saying goodbye when their nine lives have run their course. You'll also enjoy crafts and divination techniques involving cats as well as paw-some advice from Deborah Blake's extraordinary familiar, Magic the Cat.

AMAZON PURCHASE LINK

BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT

This picture could easily have been taken on my property. If not for the autumn spiders building their webs across every path, I'd take a walk. I'm beginning to not only see the light but feel the call of the new cycle. I am so ready to start fresh.

The time I needed has been productive. Thank you for your patience while I hid in my corner and wrote like a mad woman. An Ozarks Christmas is uploaded to Kindle and KPD. I just need the final proof them I can set the Pre-order and Release dates. I am so excited to be releasing this book of my heart in Eureka Springs AR on October 11th.

There is still a lot to do. I didn't get Jayson's Range completed but I have enough to at least tell the editor what I want from the western series and see if she's willing to work with me or if I'll be indie-publishing that one, too. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket and the goal I have for that series I'm not sure I can accomplish on my own. A chat with her is important.

The only other part of that original deadline is the companion workbook for the talk I will be giving at the Ozarks Creative Writers Conference. SOCIAL MEDIA - Choosing Your Top 3. There is no way I can cover every thing in 35 min with 10 min of Q & A so I'm building a companion workbook to sell at the conference. A bit of instant income, if you will. So that is one of my projects for this week.

The other is to get the house detailed and Autumn decor up. We have family coming when I need visitors the least LOL

If I'm lucky, Bob will be home around the 26th in time to celebrate my birthday and give us a couple of days of just 'us' before the throng arrives. Bob's youngest brother/ wife arrive on the 28th and will be here until the 1st. His mom and her husband arrive on the 29th and will be here until the 7th... 3 days before I have to leave.

So yeah... a bit crazy here yet, but at least I'm not feeling as pressured/ stressed.

BEAR

2002 -2018

Aside from the craziness, two weeks ago I had to take some time away from the book to spend quality time with my Great Pyrenees/ Chow as he wandered through the final days of battling cancer. Losing my Bear has been hard. The vet and I sat on the floor with him as he walked over the bridge, pain-free for the first time in months.

Age catches up with each of us... whether we be animal or human. Enjoy every minute of your  journey and envelope yourself with loved ones.

Blessings
~Rain

ON HIATUS

At some point we all need to decide what is the most important. For now, writing is the most important. I am on multiple excruciating deadlines. If you'd like to know what my schedule is looking like for the next eight weeks, please visit my author blog post on DEADLINES.  I hope you'll be come a fan.

By the end of September I need to finish revisions/ publish my romance novel, finish rough on first of a western historical trilogy, get contest entries written/ polished/ submitted (By Aug. 25th!) and hopefully a companion workbook to a talk I'm giving on October 11th.

After deadlines I'll have a couple of weeks to breathe and regroup in time for Samhain and National Novel Writing Month. 

Blessings

~Rain

SUMMER SOLSTICE

According to a clip on Twitter this morning, over 9500 people gathered at Stonehenge to welcome the Summer Solstice. What an amazing sight that  must have been and the ground must have quivered with the energy.

Today, I'm introducing you to something a bit different. Diamonn Upshaw. Diamonn approached me some time ago on my music email account about checking out her music. She included a couple of MP3s and when I heard them, I was amazed by the oxymoron of such complex simplicity. Her sound was similar to Kitaro, one of my favorite meditation  artists. With a bit of tweaking, I knew she'd fit right into the groove.

At first I was apprehensive about sending her such a critique. Her music is beautiful as is, but I heard something else and wanted her to see an additional marketing potential so I linked her to something by Kitaro such as THIS album. 

She was gracious in accepting my critique, played around with something and linked me to the video below:

In the comment section of the video I told her: I love your undertone... letting the music carry the listener. Almost as a channeling.

I also promised to introduce her to the Cauldron community. I hope you enjoy her music as much as I do and leave a comment on her video.

Visit  Diamonn Upshaw

WEBSITE     YOUTUBE

Blessings

~Rain

TEMPORARY HIATUS

Do you ever feel like this guy:

I can't seem to get off the wheel no matter how hard I try. Maybe I'm trying too hard.

I do know I have a lot going on but in contemplation, there isn't anything I want to give up!

THIS WEEK ONLY!

Every time I tried to work this week something has gone wrong - and it's only Tuesday!

Seems like every time I sit down to dive in the deep end and get stuff caught up, 

Life Happens!

I try to keep this consistent but as you can see, I've not made this blog a priority.
Maybe if I had people responding to posts would help. Because honestly, there are days I wonder if it's worth it.

With things already getting in the way

~like a power outage yesterday and unexpected computer updates today ~

I'm not going to stress about getting stuff up at all this week.

Instead, I'm going to lay the ground work for scheduled posts NEXT WEEK.

Then next week I can get the posts up for the week after that... and so on.

I have some things I want to share including a talented musician.

For the rest of this week, I just want to BREATHE and CREATE

Keep the cauldron bubbling.
I'll see you next week!

Blessings!
~Rain

BOOKS - The Whole Story

Okay.. not really the whole story - but the entire book case

I have collected books on the craft since my late teens when my mom gave me my first fortune-telling book using a regular deck of cards. Over the years I've added the Time Life series, One Spirit collection as well as books by my favorite authors. I know some do not agree with the teachings of some of those authors, but I believe each has something to share in their writings. If I can be half the writer they are and impart even a bit of my wisdom later on, I will truly consider myself blessed.

Who are some of your favorite authors? Are there any you would like to see me feature here? I hope to be adding guests soon. 

Happy Reading!

Blessings

~Rain

TUESDAY TOOLS - The Altar

Still in need of a few things, but clean and presentable. This is a 2-shelf glass table I bought at Best Buy two years ago after having the studio completed. Glass, though man-made, is a composite of rock... sand, really. What can be more natural than rock, except for maybe wood.

When designing the studio (I did the floor plan myself thanks to Home Economics in the 10th grade) I knew I wanted my altar facing East. I have a beautiful 36" x 48" sliding pane window. Most days I receive an abundance of light first thing in the morning to bless the altar and the items  upon the space.

Below the table, I have an old steamer trunk that was my mothers. In fact, the jar on the back left is filled with dried roses from the day I sent her on her new-life journey, though I don't believe she has traveled far. I feel her with me often. I keep my larger, less -used items in the trunk. Everything else I keep in my vintage wardrobe. I'll be showing that lovely find soon.

TURN OF THE WHEEL - Ostara

Spring is trying to appear in the Ozarks. Our temperatures have been a roller coaster, right along with the weather patterns. Rain comes in spurts but when it rains - it pours. We are under a Flash Flood Advisory until Wednesday. 

I planted over 100 bulbs last fall. This is one of the beauties. I love the vibrant blue. There are also soft pink ones. 

As with every spring in our yard, I have an abundance of daffodils from previous owners. I call this set On Golden Pond as they are planted in a large grouping in the back yard. Of course, that means mowing around them until about mid-June when the leaves die back.

I've also done a major cleaning on and around my altar and bookcase. While I don't have everything in place yet, the area is looking much more presentable. I'll be sharing pictures tomorrow and Wednesday for short posts this week while I try to get everything on track. 

How does your garden grow? Or are you buried beneath mountains of snow? Stop in, pour a cup of tea and chat. I love visitors.

Blessings!

~Rain

BOOKS - A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft

One of the things I've struggled with is every day practice. I will be the first to admit I have lots of things going on, but that's just who I am... activity is breathing for me. With the whole job thing last year, I made a promise to myself but more importantly to the Lord and Lady that I would step up and stir the cauldron on a more regular basis this year.

I also admit that while I follow Ms Deborah Blake on social media, we've known one another on-line for years and I belong to her writing group I somehow missed the release of the book I'm showcasing today. Then I received my newest book order catalog from One Spirit and saw this book of encouragement:

This book is exactly what it says... Everyday Witchcraft 366. The book begins on January 1 and walks you through a SIMPLE task anyone can do to stay connected with the craft. The coolest thing is, that you don't have to wait for January 1 to start. You can jump in anywhere and move your way through the 'year and a day' one step at a time. 

I had thought about waiting for Summer Solstice but didn't want to put off my journey. Instead, I've chosen today. Valentine's Day, The Day of Love.. and what better way to show love of self and love of  the Goddess then open the book to February 14 and begin.

For weeks, I've been wanting to start a 'common place' book but wasn't sure what I wanted to include. A common place book has been used for centuries as a way to document and preserve things we want to remember. Whether it be quotes, life lessons, snippets of conversation that speak to us, etc.

I've chosen THIS journal by Art Loft. The book is 5.5" x 8"  and contains 110 pages heavy enough for soft mixed media such as rubber stamping or colored pencils. I've dated the pages in the first two books. Each day will use a 2-page spread. I'll include art work complimenting that day's guide. In total, I'll fill three of these journals as I progress through the book. Periodically, I plan to share how my journey is going with you.

The directive for February 14 is a directive to open your heart to love with a simple candle and meditation spell. 

So today I open my heart to Love:

Love of the Lord and Lady

Love of my husband

Love of self

Your copy of A Year and a Day of Everyday Witchcraft awaits:

AMAZON                      One Spirit

Thank you, Ms Deborah, for another way to encourage all of us to walk the path in this chaotic world.

Blessed Be

WOLF MOON! - Gorgeous

What a way to ring in a new year! I'd been watching the moon since New Years Eve. The light radiated across the frozen earth of southcentral MO and in spite of the bitter 2* F last night I was compelled to step out onto the deck not once but three times to enjoy the glory of the Goddess. I feel she has blessed us with promise.

2018 is an even year, meaning if you believe in your great great great (and beyond)mother's predictions, this will be a very productive year. Plants should provide an abundance and anything we put our back into should reap more than we need. Plan to share your bounty and knowledge this year.

What are you hoping for in 2018? My word for the year is ACHIEVEMENT. I want to achieve so  much more than I did in the past couple of years. For the first time in a very long time I feel as if I'm finding balance. I'm hoping to complete some long-in-process projects as well as begin ones that have been on my mind for a long time.

Later this week I'll be sharing my plan to get my spiritual practice back on track.
One of the things I want to add to the blog this year is actual Book Reviews so if you have one coming out, please add me to your Reviewer's List. Know an author who's book you'd like me to review or have as a guest on the blog, please let me know using the contact form on the sidebar.

I look forward to being more organized, more on task, more productive and ACHIEVING many of my goals... As I ask, so mote it be.

Blessings
~Rain